


Keep Your Head Held High

by Vanitas_Repliku_26



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Countries rather than worlds, F/M, Heartless - Freeform, Hollow Bastion | Radiant Garden, Luxu isn't who or what you think he is, M/M, Master of Masters is a dick, Medieval AU, MoM creates nearly all known monsters, Other 'worlds' will show up too, Religion will also be a thing, Scala ad Caelum (Kingdom Hearts), There's a lot more to add but I'll do it later, Unversed, Very simple but religious stuff, nobodies - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-07-22
Packaged: 2021-02-25 10:54:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22494913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vanitas_Repliku_26/pseuds/Vanitas_Repliku_26
Summary: A medieval AU where knights are positioned under Kings and Queens. There are no worlds, only continents. King Ira rules Radiant Garden and the slums below it, Hollow Bastion. Vanitas and Ventus have been on the streets their entire lives but after an offer from one of Ira's knights, they leave Hollow Bastion and go up to Radiant Garden to join the knights. But a shadowy figure calling himself the Master has something in store for not only Ventus, but the entire world. Using the boy, he wishes to start a second Keyblade War and open up a strange thing called Kingdom Hearts.I do not give my permission for this fic to be posted on Fanfic Pocket Library (Unofficial) or any other similar app.
Relationships: Aced/Ira (Kingdom Hearts), Ava/Gula (Kingdom Hearts), Eraqus/Xehanort (Kingdom Hearts), Isa/Lea (Kingdom Hearts), Riku Replica/Vanitas (Kingdom Hearts), Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts), Squall Leonhart/Cloud Strife, Terra/Ventus (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 11
Kudos: 11





	1. The Way of Life

**Author's Note:**

  * For [makesuretheyseemyface](https://archiveofourown.org/users/makesuretheyseemyface/gifts), [Jokul_Nightfury_Frost](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jokul_Nightfury_Frost/gifts).



> I'm sure you guys remember this. It started out as a commission but I'm re-doing it and making it into a full blown story. :3 So I hope you guys enjoy it.

Vanitas had been his brother’s protector since they had been young. He was a year older than Ventus.

Their mother had been homeless and doing whatever she could to give them food and clothes, possibly even selling her body for Munny.

Vanitas had a suspicion that he and Ventus were only half-brothers. Ventus had spiky blond hair and sky-blue eyes while Vanitas had black hair and gold eyes. Vanitas remembered little of their mother since she had died when he had been four, but he remembered she had hair of gold and eyes like the ocean.

Despite the small chance that Ventus gained his looks from their mother rather than whoever their father was, Vanitas—always the pessimist—doubted it.

Even if they were half-brothers, Vanitas found he didn’t care. He would protect Ventus no matter what. He had been caring for Ventus ever since their mother had passed from an illness.

With his then three-year-old brother to care for, Vanitas turned to stealing to keep himself and Ventus fed, but after several close calls with the knights of Radiant Garden, the had turned to another way to get easy Munny: underground fight clubs.

It wasn’t really ‘underground’ like a secret. Just like Hollow Bastion wasn’t buried beneath Radiant Garden. The slums were directly below Radiant Garden’s streets, accessible by a few stairs at the edge of the town.

The slums were a secret King Ira didn’t advertise on his idyllic front page of the brochures that Vanitas saw scattered throughout the dull streets of Hollow Bastion. Ira wanted to keep visitors coming to his beautiful town and who would come if it was discovered that a disgusting, trash-ridden shantytown existed right beneath Radiant Garden’s cobblestone streets, like a weed growing in a rose bed?

No one that was who. Which was why Ira remained quiet about Hollow Bastion and the struggling poor below, as did all of his well-fed, happy citizens.

Vanitas didn’t care what the citizens of Radiant Garden thought or did. He was focused on protecting and providing for both himself and Ventus.

Vanitas sighed as he slowly woke up, staring at the deteriorating ceiling above him.

The little home that he and Ventus occupied was small with a single bedroom and a tiny bathroom. The bedroom was big enough for a twin mattress which Ventus and Vanitas shared, using a single ratty blanket to keep warm. A single low table served as their kitchen table. The table held a tiny hotplate and saucepan that Vanitas had found in the trash; both served to cook any canned food Vanitas bought. It wasn’t much but for the brothers it was everything.

Ventus was clinging to Vanitas’ waist as he always was when Vanitas woke up.

With a sigh, Vanitas draped an arm over his eyes, deciding to lay still for a few moments longer. He needed to get more food and to do that he needed to get signed up for a fight as soon as possible.

Ventus was peaceful though and he didn’t want to wake Ventus quite yet.

“Van….?” Ventus mumbled, shifting a bit to stare up at Vanitas blearily.

Vanitas lifted his arm to look at Ventus. “Hey. You don’t have to get up yet if you don’t want to.”

“Don’t you usually leave by now to do whatever it is you do?”

“You looked peaceful. I didn’t want to wake you.”

Ventus stretched out his arms with a grunt and Vanitas shifted his head to avoid the hand to his face.

“Hey…”

With a yawn, Ventus extracted himself from Vanitas and sat up, rubbing his eyes. “Well, I’m awake now.”

“I can tell.” Vanitas sat up, rubbing his hair before he stretched his arms above his head. “You know the drill.”

“I know. Stay here until you get back.”

Vanitas nodded as he slid off the mattress, grabbing a black shirt laying nearby. “Yeah. I won’t be long, all right? you have enough for breakfast.”

Breakfast wasn’t really a good breakfast; just a few scraps of bread left over from the night before. But it would tide Ventus over until Vanitas returned with more food.

Ventus sighed as he crossed his legs, resting his hands on his knees. “Will you tell me why you come home all bruised?”

“No.”

Vanitas didn’t want to tell Ventus what he did. He didn’t need Venus to worry about him or offer to join the fight club to contribute. Ventus wouldn’t last very long in that type of environment.

Ventus sulked, staring at Vanitas with his kicked puppy look. “Can’t I help you out? I can get a job.”

“You know you’re too young. You’re only sixteen.”

“I’ll be seventeen in a month!” Ventus protested.

“They don’t allow anyone under eighteen to get a job in Radiant Garden.”

Not to mention it was hard for people in Hollow Bastion to even get a job in Radiant Garden since the people up there were snobs and looked down on the struggling poor living in Hollow Bastion. Even if someone managed to get a job, maintaining it was another matter since there was a stigma that all Hollow Bastion people were drug users.

“Hollow Bastion does!”

Vanitas glared at Ventus. “They’re illegal jobs!”

Ventus sulked more before he sighed dramatically. “Fine…”

Vanitas shook his head before ruffling Ventus’s hair. “You can wander around Hollow Bastion. But don’t talk to strangers and don’t go too far. If you see any knights, keep your head down.”

“Yes, sir.” Ventus saluted.

Vanitas rolled his eyes, shoving Ventus’ head down. “Just do as I say. You know that I care about you.”

“I know.”

With a nod, Vanitas stood up. Shrugging on a sleeveless black jacket with a Moogle stitched onto the back. “I’ll back by lunch. So, make sure you’re back by then.”

Ventus nodded quickly. “I got it.”

Vanitas gave a doubtful look as he headed to the front door, opening it and stepping outside.

Ventus waited for a bit after the door closed before he hopped to his feet to pull on a pair of blue jeans and a black-and-white T-shirt. Once he had gotten dressed, he jumped to the front door and threw it open.

He was excited to get out and explore a bit.

* * *

Weaving his way through the mass of bodies, Vanitas made his way to the sign-up desk at the far end of the room.

The heat of bodies and smell of stale blood and sweat was an acquired smell, one Vanitas had become accustomed to. The bass thrumming through the room rattles deep into his chest, the noise of the fighting and yelling barely heard over it.

An arm dropped around Vanitas’ shoulders and he glanced up to see Xigbar, one of the more experience fighters, grinning down at him.

Xigbar was at least in his thirties with black hair tied in a ponytail settled against his neck, gray streaks running though his hair. He had an eyepatch covering his right eye, the left eye a deep golden color. A large, jagged scar ran up his left cheek, ending just below his eye.

Despite asking how Xigbar had gotten the scar and lost his eyes, Vanitas was never given a straight answer. Just a vague response and a flap of the hand. It was a mystery and Vanitas was sure Xigbar liked to keep it that way.

“Hey there, tiger.”

“You fighting today as well?”

“I take you are?” Xigbar countered, grin widening as he tipped his head.

Vanitas snorted, throwing the arm off his shoulder. “Perhaps.”

“Then perhaps we’ll face off against each other.”

“I hope not,” Vanitas muttered, rolling his eyes. “You’re bound to cheat.”

Xigbar clutched his heart dramatically. “You wound me, chickadee.”

“Don’t call me that either.”

Xigbar raised his hands in surrender. “All right, whatever you say. Thought we were friends.”

“We’re not friends.”

Vanitas didn’t consider himself friends with Xigbar. They were acquaintances and not even that. Just two people who met during the fights.

“No need to be so snarky,” Xigbar said, shaking his head like Vanitas disappointed him. He moved forward to scribble his name on the sign-up sheet once Vanitas had moved away. “But, hey, good luck anyway.”

Vanitas gave a grunt as he watched Xigbar saunter off before he wandered over to the snack bar.

A free food place for fighters. The drinks that were set out were mostly water or watered-down fruit punch. It wasn’t much, but it kept dehydration at bay. Vanitas took advantage of the food set out, taking the crackers and cheese and some donuts, hiding them in the pockets of his jacket to bring home for Ventus.

While he waited for his turn in the ring, Vanitas nibbled on some crackers and cheese.

“And up next: Argon the Smasher and Vanitas the Void!”

Taking another drink of the fruit punch, Vanitas set his cup down and headed to the ring.

A heavyset man slid into the ring, all muscle and strength.

Vanitas was small in comparison to Argon, but he knew he could use his small stature to his advantage.

“You picked the wrong day to come, flapjack,” Argon rumbled, slamming the fist of his left hand into the palm of his right hand.

Vanitas raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. “We’ll see about that.”

Vanitas couldn’t afford to lose. He needed the money for Ventus and himself to keep them fed.

“This is a one round fight,” the referee said, looking between Argon and Vanitas. “The first one to knock their opponent down or get them to yield wins.”

Vanitas nodded while Argon grunted. He knew the rules well.

The referee looked between the two once more, raising a hand before bringing it down. “Fight!”

Argon chuckled as he stepped closer to Vanitas, a good two heads taller than the teenager.

Vanitas let Argon have the first swing, stepping back to avoid the swipe. He needed to see what sort of moves Argon had before he went on the offensive.

It appeared that Argon appeared interested in punching hard and fast. He left a lot of weak points open, but Vanitas could see why opponents would become overwhelmed.

Keeping up his backward dodging, there was barely any room to counterattack. As Vanitas got cornered against one of the poles, he looked back at it then ducked down as Argon launched another punch at him.

The punch connected with the pole and Argon yelped as pain radiated from his knuckles, drawing his hand back to shake it.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Vanitas slipped around behind Argon, landing a kick to the back of the brute’s left knee, dropping him down.

Vanitas quickly hopped onto Argon’s back, grabbing his arm and wrenching it up against Argon’s shoulder.

Argon instantly turned into a simpering puppy at the sharp pain in his arm. “Ow, ow!”

“I would suggest you tap out,” Vanitas said. “I can dislocate your arm if you want to. You don’t want that, do you?”

Argon grit his teeth, obviously thinking of how else he could turn the situation around, before he groaned and used his other hand to tap the floor.

Vanitas gave a satisfied grunt before swiftly jerking Argon’s arm up, popping it out of the socket.

Argon screamed as Vanitas jumped off him, falling on his side and clutching his dislocated arm. “You said you wouldn’t do that!”

“I said I _could_ and I did.” Vanitas slipped out of the ring as the referee called the fight. He needed another drink before his next fight.

* * *

Ventus hummed as he wandered around Hollow Bastion.

It wasn’t as pretty as the picture of Radiant Garden that he had seen on abandoned brochures, but Hollow Bastion was home. With its cracked streets and random trash piles and damp, musty smell.

Radiant Garden was a pipe dream. It was difficult for people who lived in Hollow Bastion to ascend to the sun drenched, flower lined streets of Radiant Garden.

Ventus slowed to a stop when he saw a scraggly gray street kitten eating whatever scraps were left in a tuna can. The cat had black stripes like a tiger and blue eyes. It had to be only a month old.

Ventus’s heart clenched at the sight of the orphaned kitten. It was like him and Vanitas.

“Hi, buddy.” Ventus knelt down so he wouldn’t scare the kitten off.

The kitten fluffed up at the sight of Ventus, giving a small yowl. It hopped side to side to threaten Ventus who laughed at the kitten’s antics.

“You’re cute. Here kitty, kitty.” Ventus held out a hand, trying to lure the kitten closer.

The kitten hopped closer, still fluffed with its back arched as it hissed and spit.

Ventus smiled, head tilted slightly. “Don’t be afraid. I just want to be your friend.”

The kitten gave another hiss but once it saw that Ventus wasn’t going to go away it slowly relaxed, inching closer to sniff at Ventus’ fingers.

Ventus reached out carefully to pet the kitten. “See? I’m not bad.”

It flinched before allowing the petting, beginning to purr.

“Will you allow me to pick you up?” Ventus moved his hands closer to the kitten, slowly closing his hands around it to pick it up. He held the kitten close to his chest, petting it with one hand. “There you go.”

The kitten rubbed up under Ventus’ chin and Ventus laughed.

“Do you want to come home with me? I’m sure Van wouldn’t mind. You’re all alone, huh?”

“Mew.”

“I’m going to call you…Chirithy.”

“Mew.”

Ventus grinned as he scratched Chirithy behind the ears, heading back towards home.

* * *

After a few more fights, Vanitas made enough Munny to get more food for himself and Ventus. He got a few cans of food, some canned tuna and canned fruit, dried meat. Some drinks that didn’t need refrigeration.

With no fridge at home, it limited the options of food, but Vanitas always made sure to make it work. He had to.

With Munny left over after buying food, Vanitas got a few sweet cakes—ones he knew Ventus liked—and two sea salt ice creams. It wasn’t every day they had desserts and treats. Vanitas was sure Ventus would be happy.

With bags of food in hand, Vanitas returned home, satisfied with himself.

Ventus was sure to be happy with Vanitas’s choices.

“Hey, Ven,” Vanitas greeted, opening the door and stepping into their home. He paused when he saw Ventus playing with a kitten and instantly scowled. “Ven.”

“Hey, Van!” Ventus greeted with a grin, holding the kitten against his chest. “You’re back. What did you get?”

“What did _you_ get?” Vanitas countered, staring at the kitten. “ _Where_ did you get it?”

“I found Chirithy—”

“Chirithy?”

“—in the alley, playing in the trash. She likes me.”

Chirithy meowed, rubbing against Ventus’ neck.

Vanitas sighed as he set the bags down. “You know we can’t keep it, Ven.”

“Her.”

“Her. We can’t afford it. She probably has fleas or ear mites. That’s lots of Munny.”

“I can help out,” Ventus protested. “I can do newspaper delivery or something.”

“Ven, that job requires you to be seventeen. With a skateboard.”

“I can just say I’m seventeen. I’m almost seventeen anyway. A month doesn’t make a difference.”

Vanitas shook his head. “We still can’t keep her. We have to feed her, have litter. It’s expensive to have a pet.”

Ventus frowned then held Chirithy up to Vanitas’ face. “But look at her, she’s all alone.”

Chirithy mewled, staring at Vanitas with huge blue eyes as her ears drooped.

Vanitas stared at the pathetic look before he sighed loudly, the continuing argument he had saved in his head disappearing. He shook his head. “Fine. We’ll keep her for a little while. But she’s your responsibility.”

Ventus perked up, grinning. “Thanks, Van!”

Vanitas grunted, picking up the bags and taking out the food he bought. He held out the ice cream to Ventus. “Here, I got ice cream.”

Ventus gasped, taking the ice cream. “Sea salt? We haven’t had ice cream in ages.”

“I’m aware.”

After getting the food in the nightstand they used as a cupboard, Vanitas sat beside Ventus with his own ice cream. He stared at Chirithy who seemed content to sit on Ventus’ lap, purring loudly. He gave a quiet grunt as he looked away, beginning to lick his ice cream. He supposed that if having a cat made Ventus happy, he could get accustomed to it.

“She needs a collar.”

“Hm?” Ventus stopped mid-lick of his ice cream to look at Vanitas.

“The cat. She needs a collar if you insist on keeping her.”

Ventus blinked at the statement before he smiled at Vanitas. “Are you already getting attached, Van?”

“No!” Vanitas shot a glare at Ventus, but it was half-hearted. “I’m just saying that it would be a shame if the cat runs away and it doesn’t have a collar to tell someone who she belongs to.”

Not that Vanitas believed anyone living in Hollow Bastion would return the cat to its rightful owner anyway.

Ventus gave a smug grin, realizing that Vanitas was indeed worried around the cat’s wellbeing before he leaned against his brother. “It’s okay. We’ll get her a collar.”

Vanitas gave a small grunt, taking a fierce bite out of his ice cream to hide his embarrassment. “Good.”

* * *

Chirithy became a quick part of the family. She was easy to feed and finding a litter box and liter wasn’t too difficult for Vanitas. He just had to do a few extra fights which suited him just fine. He liked fighting. It was something he did well.

“Be careful if you go outside today, all right?” Vanitas said as he got on his shoes, occasionally batting away Chirithy since the kitten was interested in his shoelaces. “I won’t be long.”

“Okay.”

Ventus knew the drill by now. He knew what to do and what not to do.

Vanitas nodded. “And if you go out, Chirithy stays here.”

“Yeah, I know.”

They still didn’t have a collar for Chirithy anyway. Vanitas was close to saving to get one.

Ventus watched Vanitas get his jacket on before leaving the house, shutting the door behind him. The blond sighed loudly, flopping on his back.

Chirithy mewled, hopping onto the mattress to lay on Ventus’ chest.

“What shall we do today, Chirithy?”

“Mew.”

“I don’t know either.” Ventus tapped his feet on the ground before he sat up.

Chirithy yowled as she tumbled onto Ventus’ lap before giving a disgruntled look.

“Who’s to say I can’t do something to help out? Van doesn’t have to know.”

“Mew?”

“I’m going to get a job. Van shouldn’t have to keep providing for us all by himself.”

“Mew!”

Ventus picked Chirithy up and set her on the mattress as he stood up. “You have to stay here, all right? I’ll be back.”

“Mew.” Chirithy sat down, staring at Ventus as the blond left. Once the door had closed, she yawned and laid down, curling up.

* * *

Ventus glanced around as he slowly walked up the stairs leading to Radiant Garden. He hadn’t ever stepped foot into the upper world before and it was a nerve-wracking experience.

Glancing around as he moved forward, Ventus kept his head lowered to avoid peoples’ stares. He was certain everyone was staring at him like they knew he wasn’t one of them. An outsider.

All he needed to do was apply for a job then return to Hollow Bastion. It wouldn’t take that long.

Heading over to the bulletin board that posted things like lost and found, services for hire, and new job postings, Ventus searched for any sort of job that he could do without too much difficulty or asked questions.

He spotted a newspaper job that he could do during the times that Vanitas was gone and grabbed the paper from the board. The job required a skateboard, but that could be remedied; all Ventus needed to do was either search Hollow Bastion or steal one.

Vanitas hated stealing, especially since it brought attention on them from the knights that roamed the city.

Ventus stuffed the ad into his pocket, glancing around. From where he was, he didn’t see any knights but that didn’t mean they weren’t around, waiting to catch hooligans when they least expected it.

Wandering around Radiant Garden for a while longer, Ventus passed a few stalls that were set up and curiously moved closer to see what was being sold.

Bracelets, necklaces, rings, earrings. Scarves and gloves. Even animal collars.

He couldn’t afford any of what was being sold, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t see if he could steal something.

Staring at the animal collars laying in a row, ventus saw one that interested him; a pink collar with a tiny pouch at the front stitched with a white star.

It would be a beautiful collar for Chirithy. It looked like it was made for her. The issue was getting it.

Flicking his eyes up at the vendor nervously, Ventus saw that the man was looking off at something in the distance. With the vendor’s eyes off him, Ventus could easily swipe the collar.

Biting his lip, Ventus looked back down at the collar then at the vendor.

The vendor still wasn’t staring at him.

Glancing around to make sure that no one else was staring in his direction, Ventus reached out and quickly grabbed the collar, shoving it into his pocket. He kept a tight hold on the collar as he walked off, keeping his gaze on the ground.

He had actually grabbed the collar without any incident. All he had to do was get home.

Ventus was buzzing with excitement at his heist, looking back at the vendor to make sure that he hadn’t noticed the lost collar. With a grin, Ventus walked faster only to walk into someone, stumbling back before falling on his butt.

“Oh, man, I’m sorry about that.”

Ventus shook his head before looking up to see a male around Vanitas’ age kneeling in front of him.

The guy had shoulder length brown hair and blue eyes. The clothes he wore—a white tabard with blue edges stitched with the image of a rearing unicorn on the sides of the sleeves, beige trousers, and an ornate sheathed sword hanging at his side—gave him away as one of King Ira’s knights, the Horn of the Unicorn or as Vanitas liked to call them, the Unicorn Squad.

Ventus gasped, quickly standing up by himself when the brunet held out his hand for Ventus. “I’m fine!”

“Oh.” The knight stood. “Sorry for bumping into you. Didn’t mean to.”

“It’s fine.” Ventus moved past the knight before running off. “Bye!”

“Uh, bye.” The knight watched Ventus leave before he looked down to see the discarded collar. Bending down, he picked it up and stared at it before looking back at where the blond had run off to.

* * *

Ventus kept cursing at himself as he waited for Vanitas to return home, holding Chirithy. He had dropped the collar that he had stolen for the kitten and a knight had seen him. He hoped he hadn’t been followed. Then the knight would know where they lived and would probably arrest him for stealing.

Ventus looked up sharply when he heard a knock at the door. Chirithy meowed at the noise, staring at the door as well. Ventus waited for whoever was at the door to leave, not making a sound.

Vanitas never knocked on the door and had always told Ventus that if anyone knocked to not answer because it could either be a knight or another Hollow Bastion resident looking to rob them of whatever they had.

After a minute of silence, Ventus relaxed slightly. Whoever was at the door had surely left, believing no one to be home.

His thoughts were proven wrong as there was another knock, more forceful than last time.

“Hey, I got something that you dropped. I’m sure you’re there; I saw you go in. Not to be creepy, but I followed you back here.”

That was definitely creepy. The knight had actually followed him back to Hollow Bastion? Just to return the stolen collar?

Ventus frowned slightly but didn’t say anything. It wouldn’t do to encourage the knight by proving him right that he was still home.

“Look, I know a lot of Hollow Bastion citizens don’t trust knights, but I really just want to return the collar that you stole. I bought it for you. So now it’s not…stolen? That sounded weird. Do you want the collar or not? I can always just give it to another person on the street who may not need it as badly as you do.”

Ventus narrowed his eyes at the door before he set Chirithy down and stood up. He opened the door, glaring up at the knight who appeared pleased that he had gotten Ventus to finally open the door.

He held up the collar. “I believe this is yours?”

Ventus grumbled, reaching out for the collar only to have it pulled out of his reach. “Hey!”

“I bought this for you after you stole it. I could arrest you, but I’d rather just know your name. My name is Terra.”

“I don’t have to give you my name or anything else. Give me the collar.”

“Then I guess I’ll keep the collar.” Terra tossed the collar up before catching it, giving a cheeky grin at Ventus.

Ventus scowled at Terra, clenching his hands before he relaxed, giving a defeated sigh. “Ventus.”

“Venses…Ven….tse…Ven!”

“Only my brother can call me Ven.”

Terra appeared surprised. “Your brother? You two all by yourself?”

“Ven!”

Ventus gasped as he saw Vanitas approaching them, narrowing his eyes at the sight of Terra. “Van!”

Vanitas growled as he stepped between Ventus and Terra, glaring up at the knight. “Get off our doorstep. You have no business here.”

Terra held up his hands. “I was just returning this to Ven.”

Vanitas scowled at the collar Terra held, glancing back at Ventus before he snatched the collar from Terra. “Good. Leave now.”

Pushing Ventus back into the house, Vanitas shut the door and locked it before glaring at Ventus. “You stole a collar in front of a knight?!”

“It wasn’t in front of him. I bumped into him and dropped it! He came here—”

“He followed you?!”

“He bought it for me and wanted to return it.”

Vanitas groaned, putting a hand to his face as he shook his head. “I can’t believe this…”

“I didn’t think he’d follow me.”

“Of course he’d follow you! He’s from the Unicorn Squad!”

Ventus frowned, looking down. “I just wanted to get a collar for Chirithy.”

Chirithy mewled, looking between the two before going up to Ventus to rub against him.

Vanitas sighed, shoulders slumping as he looked at the collar in his hand. He held it out to Ventus. “Don’t do that again, all right? It could have turned out way worse than this.”

Ventus grinned before he moved forward to hug Vanitas tightly. “Thanks, Van!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Vanitas grumbled as he patted Ventus’ back with his free hand. “Stop being all mushy on me.”

Ventus chuckled as he pulled away from Vanitas, taking the collar. “You and your anti-hug sentiment.”

“Just put the collar on the cat,” Vanitas grunted, picking up the bags of food and making his way over to the nightstand. “Otherwise you would have stolen it for nothing.”

Ventus stuck his tongue out at Vanitas’ back before sitting down, picking Chirithy up. He put the collar around her neck then held her up. “Don’t you look precious now?”

“Mew.”

Vanitas glanced over his shoulder at the two before giving a grunt. “Looks good on her.”

“I think so too.”

Vanitas continued putting the food away, silently hoping that the knight wouldn’t come back to Hollow Bastion ever again.

* * *

Of course, life couldn’t be that simple and it appeared that the gods liked to prove Vanitas wrong in any way possible.

Terra grinned as Vanitas came out of the front door, pushing off the wall he was leaning against. “Hey, so I was thinking—”

“Don’t talk to me,” Vanitas snapped, moving past Terra quickly. “Don’t look at me. And don’t follow me!”

“You won’t even let me finish my suggestion?” Terra asked, still following after Vanitas and garnering all sorts of unwanted attention from the people of Hollow Bastion.

“I don’t know him!” Vanitas said so that everyone knew he was being followed unwillingly.

“You’re being extremely uncooperative.”

Vanitas turned quickly, pinning Terra with a glare as he poked the other in the chest. “Look, thanks for buying the collar that my idiot brother stole, but now you can leave us alone. As you can see, your kind is not exactly welcome down here.”

Terra didn’t need to look around to see that several people were scowling at him, holding onto knives or broken bottles for protection or assault. Terra wasn’t sure which. He had his own protection in case things went south.

“I just want to say that if you want to get out of this situation, I can help you. You and your brother, believe it or not, I was in this same situation when I was younger.”

“No one leaves Hollow Bastion,” Vanitas sniffed as he turned again, making his way towards the building that held the underground fighting ring.

“I did!” Terra replied, not following Vanitas any further.

Vanitas flipped Terra off over his shoulder, stomping down the stairs and passing Xigbar who was leaning against the railing.

Xigbar looked at Terra, giving a smirk before he flicked a two-finger salute at Terra and followed after Vanitas.

Terra sighed, shaking his head. He looked back at the people still watching him before he left, deciding not to overstay his welcome in case they actually decided to attack.

“What was that about, kid?” Xigbar asked, dropping an arm around Vanitas’ shoulder as they headed to the sign-up sheets. “That knight giving you trouble?”

“It’s nothing.” Vanitas shoved Xigbar’s arm off his shoulders. “Forget about it.”

“Eh, whatever you say, spike.” Xigbar gave a shrug, not bothered by Vanitas’ behavior. “Ready for today?”

“I’m always ready.”

Xigbar gave a wide grin. “Good answer.”

* * *

Vanitas sighed as he returned home after his fights for the day, carrying a few bags of food for Ventus, Chirithy and himself. As he entered the door to the house, he immediately paused when he saw Terra sitting on the floor with Ventus sitting across from him, Chirithy curled up in the brunet’s lap.

Vanitas growled, dropping the bags. “Don’t you ever fucking give up?!”

“Van, he has an offer for us!” Ventus said as he stood up. “Can you at least hear him out?”

“What have I told you about the knights?” Vanitas hissed, glaring at Ventus. “And you invite one into our home?”

Ventus went over to Vanitas, grabbing his arm as he stared at his brother with huge eyes. “Van, please…”

Vanitas bared his teeth a bit, scowling at Terra before looking at Ventus. After a few seconds he sighed, shoulders dropping. “Fine...a few minutes. That’s all you get.”

Ventus perked up, turning quickly to give Terra a grin.

Terra gave a nod, appreciative that he was allowed to be heard. “I was going to offer that you two join the knights.”

Vanitas barked a laugh before he scowled. “No.”

“You’ll get your own house and free food every day, whenever you want. You’ll train and it will be difficult but you won’t have to struggle down here for food.”

“I don’t need a fancy Keyblade or gear,” Vanitas sniffed.

“Not all of us have Keyblades. Only specific people with a certain blood lineage can summon them. That, too, will be part of your training.”

“To summon a Keyblade?” Ventus gasped.

Terra nodded. “If you can summon one, you can train and become a knight faster.”

Ventus looked at Vanitas with a grin. “Can’t we at least try?”

“Ven…”

“You don’t have to give me an answer right away.” Terra stood up, handing Chirithy to Ventus. “You know where to find me if you change your mind.”

Ventus watched Terra leave before he looked at Vanitas. “Van…”

“No.” Vanitas waved a hand to cut off what Ventus was about to say. “I told you, we don’t trust the knights.”

“We won’t have to struggle to survive anymore, Van! We can have our own beds and warm food. Please. Can’t we at least try?”

Vanitas looked at Ventus who had the kicked puppy look again and sighed heavily. He shook his head, running a hand through is hair. He didn’t like the knights. They were too stuck up and stuffy to be around. Sticklers for rules and order.

He wasn’t knight material. Ventus? Ventus was. And Vanitas knew that. Ventus was pure and sweet and probably made of Keyblade material. Wherever Ventus went, Vanitas was going to follow. He had to protect his brother.

“All right. We can at least try for a few days.”

Ventus perked up, grinning widely. He held Chirithy up, swinging her around. “We’re going to live in Radiant Garden!”

“Mew!”

* * *

Vanitas sighed as he followed after Ventus slowly, carrying a bag of their things. They didn’t really have much so there wasn’t much to take with them.

Chirithy bounded after Ventus, stumbling on the steps every so often before correcting herself and continuing.

Ventus reached the top of the steps first, looking around in awe. He hadn’t ever gotten this close to the castle and it was right in front of him.

The castle was huge and imposing with multiple towers and large windows, multiple flower beds planted in the square in front of the castle. Off in the distance, Ventus could see the barracks where the knights stayed and on the opposite side was a training yard where several knights could be seen in the middle of training.

“Wow….”


	2. Knights of Ira

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHAAATT an update? Yeah It's been months.  
> I'm doing this out of spite, really. Spite, caffeine and beer.  
> I had an argument online with someone on whether TerrVen was pedophilia and needless to say now I'm just like 'fuck you I do what I want'. :)  
> Enjoy

Vanitas came up beside Ventus, gazing around their new home without much interest.

“I guess it’s all right,” he grunted, unimpressed.

Ventus huffed, pouting at Vanitas.

Before he could say anything, Terra trotted up to the two with a grin,

“Hey, guys. Glad you could make it. Before I take you to your bunker, the King wants to see you.”

“See us?” Ventus gasped, awed that the King wanted to see someone as low as them. “Really? We get an audience with King Ira?”

Terra nodded, waving a hand so the two followed. “Yeah. He always meets with the new recruits.”

Ventus bounced excitedly, looking at Vanitas. “Isn’t this amazing, Van?”

“Joy.”

Terra led the two into the castle and down a long hallway with gold trimmed red carpet.

Ventus looked around at all the large paintings adorning the walls in awe, pointing to each one and asking who the painting depicted since each picture had a sketch of a person of varying age.

As far as Vanitas was concerned, they were just old drawings of people who were probably old men by then or dead.

Plaques along the bottoms of the frames claimed they were previous Kings of Radiant Garden.

Dead then. Maybe.

Between each picture was a tapestry stitched with the Unicorn Squad’s symbol; a rearing unicorn with a blue mane and purple horn.

The three came into a broad, open area with a domed ceiling. The floor turned from white marble to gold tiles interlaid with black tiles to make a star-shaped symbol in the center of the floor. In front of a tall stain-glass window was a throne where a man sat with a second man standing to the left.

The stain glass window was a mash of amber, amethyst, sapphire and crystal fused together to create a portrait of a unicorn staring straight at Vanitas and Ventus as they approached the throne.

The man sitting on the throne had a white unicorn mask with gold trim hiding his face. The horn was made of what appeared to polished amethyst. A white, hooded cloak covered a robe, shirt, and sash that were all light blue and decorated with gold embroidering. Gold tassels adorned the front of the man’s cloak while purple jewels hung from the ends.

The man beside the throne appeared to be more of a scientist with a long white lab coat over a grey vest, white collared shirt, and a purple ascot tied around his throat. His steel-blue hair was long, covering his right eye but leaving his left blue eye visible.

Terra kneeled down on one knee as he came to a stop several feet before the steps leading to the throne, lowering his head. “I have brought the new recruits as you requested, King Ira.”

“Thank you, Terra.” The man in the unicorn mask nodded, staring at Ventus and Vanitas. He kept the gaze for several seconds.

The man beside Ira leaned down to whisper something in his ear and Ira nodded.

“I see that. How fascinating…”

“What are you talking about?” Vanitas asked impatiently, dropping his bag to cross his arms. “Huh? You got an issue with us?”

Ira appeared amused by Vanitas’s reaction, a smile appearing on his face as he shook his head. “No, no. You two look very similar to two other people that I know of; one knight under the guidance of my friend at Destiny Islands, King Gula, and one under Queen Invi at Twilight Town.”

“Huh?” Vanitas tilted his head with an annoyed expression. That hadn’t really answered his question and left him with more questions.

Ira waved a hand to dismiss the conversation. “Ventus and Vanitas, correct?”

Ventus nodded quickly while Vanitas grunted.

“You have a good heart, I can tell,” Ira said, looking in Ventus’s direction. “You have Keyblade potential.”

Ventus perked up, appearing excited as a brilliant smile lit up his face. “Really?”

“It depends on your lineage, but I’m sure you’ll be able to summon a Keyblade.” Ira looked in Vanitas’s direction, staring at him for a few seconds. “You, I’m not so sure about.”

Vanitas bared his teeth before pointing at Ira. “How do you know what I can and can’t do, you pointy headed freak?!”

“How dare you speak to the King that way!” the man beside Ira snapped, taking a step towards Vanitas.

Ira held up a hand to stop him. “Calm, Ienzo. I take no offense.”

Ienzo frowned, shooting a glare at Vanitas before stepping back, setting his hands behind his back.

“You have two good candidates, Terra,” Ira murmured. “Good work. They can start training in the morning. Make sure they’re introduced to everyone.”

Terra nodded as he stood up from his kneeling position. “Of course, Your Highness.”

Vanitas grunted, snatching his bag off the ground before stomping off.

“Van!” Ventus turned to follow after him, Chirithy trailing behind the two.

Terra gave a quick bow to Ira then jogged after Ventus.

Ira hummed to himself, grabbing his chin as he leaned back in his chair. “Those two are an interesting pair…”

Ienzo glanced at Ira out of the corner of his eye. “Sir?”

“They may just be the key.”

* * *

“You didn’t have to be so rude to the King, Van,” Ventus said as he followed after Vanitas. “We’re going to be living here so we need to get along.”

“I don’t care!” Vanitas snarled, throwing his hands up in frustration. “That guy…thinking he can already determine if I can summon a Keyblade or not….pah!”

“Best to let him cool down,” Terra said, catching up to Ventus. “I’ll show you to your bunker and you two can rest for today. Training starts tomorrow at dawn.”

Ventus smiled at Terra. “Thanks for everything.”

“It’s nothing…” Terra rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. “Come on, this way.”

Terra led the two brothers and their cat to the barracks, making his way to the back row of houses. He stopped at the last one, opening the door on his right.

The inside was larger than Vanitas’ and Ventus’ old house, containing two desks and a bunkbed pushed against the wall. Off to the side was a small bathroom.

“A bunkbed!” Ventus gasped, staring at the bed in amazement. “I get the top bunk!”

“What?” Vanitas scoffed. “I’m older, I get the top bunk!”

“It’s obviously a rule that the youngest gets the top bunk,” Ventus countered, setting his hands on his hips as he pouted at Vanitas.

It was obvious he was trying to intimidate Vanitas, but all Vanitas saw was a puppy that got kicked rather than feisty Ventus.

Vanitas gave a sigh, folding his arms as he shifted his weight to his left leg. “Who told you that rule? That’s a stupid rule.”

“It’s not!”

Terra chuckled as he watched the two argue over who got the top bunk. “You two are just like me and Reiku. We argued over who got the top bunk when we first got here.”

“Reiku?” Ventus asked, pausing in his argument to look at Terra.

“He’s a friend of mine. His brother lives in Destiny Islands; his name is Riku.”

“Is he a knight too?” Vanitas grunted, arms still crossed as he tilted his head.

Terra nodded. “Yep. So is his boyfriend, Sora, and Sora’s brother Roxas. Roxas lives in Twilight Town though.”

“King Ira mentioned that King Gula runs Destiny Islands,” Ventus said thoughtfully. “And Queen Invi for Twilight Town.”

“Yeah. Gula’s knights are the Leopard’s Spots and Invi’s knights are the Serpent’s Fang.”

“That’s cool! Will we get to meet them?”

Terra shrugged. “Soon. Every Friday we have classes teaching us different things and the Kings and Queens alternate as teachers. We also have a mass on Sunday so that’s also when you’ll likely see them too.”

“That would be awesome,” Ventus said eagerly, clenching his hands and shaking them impatiently. “I’d like to know what Destiny Islands or Twilight Town are like.”

Vanitas gave a grunt as he set his bag down, scowling at Terra. He and Ventus were getting too buddy-buddy too quickly for Vanitas’ liking. “Okay, thanks for everything. Bye.”

“Van!” Ventus complained when Vanitas shut the door in Terra’s face.

Vanitas locked the door for good measure.

“You don’t need to be so rude.”

“Yeah, whatever. Let’s just go to bed.”

* * *

Despite having two beds, Vanitas and Ventus ended up sharing the top bunk. Ventus clung to Vanitas as he usually did with Chirithy laying against Ventus’ chest.

A sudden noise jarred the three from their sleep, the trumpeting song echoing through every bunker.

Chirithy yowled at the loud noise, leaping up and clinging to the ceiling. Ventus startled and shoved Vanitas out of the bunk.

“Ow!” Vanitas complained when he hit the ground.

Ventus gasped, looking over the edge of the bed to stare at the crumpled Vanitas. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. But whoever is making that racket is not going to be.” Vanitas stood up gingerly, brushing himself off, squinting out the window over one of the desks.

It was still dark outside.

He looked at the clocks on the desks, both of them declaring that it was five thirty a.m.

“Who the fuck wakes up at five thirty in the morning?!”

“Perhaps it’s our training?” Ventus asked, gently prying Chirithy from the ceiling. “Terra said it started at dawn.”

“It’s still night out, Ven.”

Ventus shrugged, petting Chirithy to calm her down. Once she had relaxed, he set her down on the sheets. “We may as well get ready.”

Vanitas heaved a sigh, rubbing his head. Well, he definitely didn’t feel like going back to sleep anyway.

“Sure.” He shrugged. “We should take a bath.”

Vanitas wasn’t sure how good the water in Radiant Garden was but back in Hollow Bastion the hot water only lasted for less than half of the tub before the water shut off.

It was easier to share so they both got hot water.

While Ventus climbed down from the top bunk, Vanitas entered the bathroom, squinting at it after turning on the light.

White everything. A square mirror hung above the vanity and Vanitas avoided his reflection, turning to the bathtub instead. The side wall was lined with bath soaps.

After turning the water on, Vanitas picked up a few bottles to look at them, muttering to himself, “Cherry blossom…?”

Ventus came into the bathroom, staring at the filling water curiously. “Is it just me or is this more than half of the bathtub?”

Vanitas looked at the water.

It was slightly more than halfway full, and the water hadn’t turned off yet.

“It’s not just you.”

Ventus touched the water and grinned. “It’s still hot!”

“What? No way.” Vanitas touched the water to be sure, finding it was hot. Hotter than their water had been.

Ventus bounced on the balls of his feet excitedly. “I call the bath first!”

“What? I started it so I get it first.”

“Nuh-uh!”

“Yeah-huh!”

* * *

They ended up sharing the bath anyway since they couldn’t decide who should take the bath first. Perhaps they were just stuck in their old ways and it would eventually be worked out once they were used to their new surroundings.

A bit of prodding from Ventus and Vanitas reluctantly changed into the knight clothing that had been neatly folded in a small dresser.

He tugged at the clothes, not used to them, but they weren’t as scratchy as his old clothes.

A knock came to their door and Vanitas went to open it, expecting it to be Terra.

Instead he was greeted with a male his age standing at the threshold. The teen had pale skin, light green eyes, and shoulder-length silver hair. He was wearing the same knight uniform.

“Hey,” the teen greeted, raising a hand. “I’m—” He paused as Ventus came to the door, looking between the two. “Whoa, that’s freaky.”

“Heh?” Vanitas asked with an annoyed look. “What’s freaky?”

The silver-haired teen shook his head quickly, waving his hands. “No, no it’s nothing. Never mind. My name is Reiku. I’m Terra’s friend.”

“Where’s Terra?” Ventus asked, moving past Vanitas so he could see Reiku better.

“Oh, he’s already at the training yard. He generally helps train the new recruits. He’s waiting for you two, so come on.” Reiku waved at them to follow him, moving towards the training yard.

Vanitas grunted, closing the door to their bunker before following after Reiku, Ventus close behind him. “What about breakfast?”

“Oh, we usually eat afterward. If you eat before you generally just get sick so it’s better to eat after training, hence why it starts at dawn.”

“That’s stupid.”

“Van,” Ventus muttered, elbowing Vanitas.

Reiku laughed. “It’s all right. Hollow Bastion bred citizens can be stubborn, I know. Terra was the same way when we first started out.”

“Really?” Ventus asked, surprised. It was hard to imagine Terra acting like Vanitas. “He’s so nice though.”

“I know. Hard to imagine he was pretty much like your brother here, huh?”

Vanitas grunted, crossing his arms, and looking away.

Reiku gave a smile at Vanitas’ response. They came into the training yard where several knights were already training against wooden dummies. They wielded what appeared to be wooden weapons. Not meant to hurt but train.

Terra was nearby, speaking to some knight s but he noticed the three and grinned. After waving the knights off, he made his way towards the trio. “Hey, guys. Ready to get started?”

Ventus nodded eagerly while Vanitas gave a grunt and a muttered, “I guess…”

Terra gave a nod, holding out his left hand. A weapon materialized in his hand with a flash of light. “This is my Keyblade, Earthshaker.”

Earthshaker was a dark brown in color with a textured surface and brass edges along the shaft. The teeth had two points with flat protrusions on the opposite side, making it look like a hammer. The guard was slightly rounded and off blue while the chains hanging from the pommel had an arrow-shaped rock fragment hanging from the end. The Keyblade was built for strength and hard-hitting attacks.

“Each Keyblade has a unique name that cannot be duplicated,” Terra explained while Ventus stared at the Keyblade in awe. “Your Keyblade is unique to you, to your heart and blood. For those who have the possibility to summon a Keyblade, we use wooden Keyblades to substitute a real one.”

Reiku came over, carrying two wooden weapons shaped exactly the same. He gave one to Ventus and one to Vanitas.

The Keyblade replica appeared simple with a silver shaft and teeth shaped similar to a crown. The guard was golden and a token attached to the chains at the end of the pommel were three circles welded together.

“They’re shaped like the Kingdom Key,” Terra said. “Sometimes your Keyblade will summon as a simple Kingdom Key before it transforms into the Keyblade from what makes you, well, you. It takes a while though and a name will help make your Keyblade appear faster, but it has to be a name that feel right to you, not just a random name.”

Ventus stared at the wooden Keyblade with huge eyes, swinging it around a bit. Vanitas scowled at his, flipping it side to side as he examined it.

“Sometimes summoning a Keyblade will take hours and sometimes it can take years.”

“How long did it take for you?” Ventus asked.

Terra thought about it for a while, his Keyblade vanishing so he could fold his arms across his chest. “A few months. Reiku got his first.”

“Soul Eater.” Reiku summoned his own Keyblade, a falchion-esque blade with a red shaft shaped like a demon wing, the edge of the blade dark purple. A bright blue eye was embedded in the handle which was twisted like braids. Soul Eater lacked guard handles and the typical tokens other Keyblades had.

“It’s similar to my brother Riku’s Keyblade,” Reiku explained. “His is called Way to Dawn and pretty much looks like mine except it has a white wing on the top.”

“Do siblings have similar Keyblades?” Vanitas asked, looking at the Keyblade Reiku had before looking at Terra.

“Not all the time,” Terra said with a shake of his head. “Sora and Roxas are brothers, but they have extremely different Keyblades. Sora’s Kingdom Key has yet to evolve and probably never will while Roxas carries Oathkeeper.”

“That’s interesting,” Ventus said with a grin. “I never knew Keyblades were so varied.”

Terra nodded before he gestured to the wooden dummies set up behind him. “We’ll start with simple exercises and as the days go by, they’ll get more difficult. We’ll also practice summoning techniques to see if we can get a Keyblade to appear.”

Vanitas sniffed. “Didn’t you hear your stupid horn King? I’m not Keyblade material.”

“Doesn’t mean you can’t summon one, Vanitas,” Terra said with a firm shake of his head. “It just means it will be a lot more difficult for you.”

Vanitas gave a doubtful hum, glowering down at the wooden Keyblade in his hand.

“Okay, let’s get started, you two.”

Terra taught the two basic stances and strikes, even block techniques. He showed them what he expected then watched as the wo copied his moves, stopping them only to correct posture or feet positioning.

The sun slowly rose above the horizon while they trained, bathing the area in gold light. The training lasted until nearly ten o’clock when everyone would gather in the mess hall for breakfast. The banquet table stretched out from one wall to the other wall, laden with food and drinks. The large amount of food overwhelmed Ventus and Vanitas, both of them so used to struggling to have enough food daily and now they were faced with piles of warm pancakes, crispy bacon, and orange juice. They ate more than they probably should have but the food was amazing, better than what they had been living with for years.

Terra and Reiku appeared amused by Ventus and Vanitas’ reaction to the food, making sure to tell the brothers that they could go back for seconds or thirds with no questions asked.

Ventus looked like he was about to pass out from sheer joy.

With the food and warm room and no need to share a bathtub, Vanitas was slowly getting used to the life of living as a knight. It wasn’t too bad if they were to stay there forever.

While they ate, Terra laid out a typical weekly schedule for Ventus and Vanitas to see.

Monday through Thursday was training and chores. Chores mostly consisted of sweeping the courtyard, checking the training equipment to see if it needed replacement, and laundry. Friday was school. The Kings and Queens alternated every week to teach the knights of their city as well as the other knights. Ira taught the history and basics of Keyblades. Aced from Traverse Town taught fighting forms and Link Attacks. King Gula and Queen Ava of Scala ad Caelum taught about the summoning of spirits. Queen Invi taught Spirit summoning. Someone who wasn’t royalty taught about the history of the foretellers and was apparently a new addition; his name was Blaine.

Saturday was a day of rest, allowing the knights to do as they pleased.

Sunday was a huge gathering at Scala ad Caelum for Sunday mass, worshipping the God of Light, Luxu.

Vanitas didn’t consider himself religious. There wasn’t any reason to since he had strictly been focusing in feeding himself and Ventus.

“So, this Friday we’ll see Ira teach?” Ventus asked as he stuffed another pancake into his mouth.

Terra chuckled, giving a nod. “Yeah. He’s low key, but very good at going into depth or answering any questions you have.”

Vanitas still didn’t like the sound of going to school. It sounded like a lot of work.

* * *

The Friday class was held in a section of the castle set up like an auditorium. A blackboard was positioned at the front of the room along with a podium.

Already sketched onto the board in chalk was a drawing of a Kingdom Key along with some key notes about Keyblades.

Terra led Ventus and Vanitas to a row close to the front, sitting in a seat. Ventus sat beside Terra while Vanitas sat on the other side of Ventus.

Ira was already at the front of the room, silently watching as people filled in. Once everyone had come in and were seated, he cleared his throat.

“Welcome once again to a fine Friday. We’ll be continuing where we left off last week: Keyblade shapes and their attributes.”

Vanitas glanced at Ventus and Tera to see that the brunet was diligently taking notes while Ventus just watched Ira talking about how Keyblades came to exist in awe. Vanitas rested his chin in his hand. When he had agreed to be a knight, he hadn’t thought that it would include boring lectures.

Maybe it was Ira’s voice that made it annoying.

 _This isn’t exactly what I signed up for,_ Vanitas thought, beginning to doodle on the notebook that Terra had given him before class, trying to make it look like he was taking notes.

Then again, he had thought that being a knight meant you could be a jerk to anyone so he could be proven wrong.

Still, going to school to learn how to be a knight?

 _Boring,_ Vanitas thought as he drew another Keyblade.

He wondered if the Sunday mass would be just as boring. It probably would be.

* * *

After breakfast Sunday morning, Ira gathered all the knights in the courtyard and before them opened up a portal of brilliant white light.

A waypoint, he called it. A method of travel that made a day or more walk turn into seconds. Only the Kings and Queens had such an ability, cutting down on chances for turncoats to give their weaknesses to enemies.

What enemies? Vanitas wondered as he followed Ventus through the portal.

It was like passing through a door. One second, they were in Radiant Garden and the next, a completely new place. The city before them was enormous and surrounded by water. The houses were stacked atop each other and it appeared like there were several smaller city sections that branched off from the main area. What appeared to be a clock tower loomed over the entire city.

“This is Scala ad Caelum,” Ira said as he led the group forward. “The birthplace of Keyblades.”

Vanitas glanced around as they walked, intrigued by the city’s structure.

Very few people walked along the streets and he wondered if it was because it was nearly time for mass.

As they neared the clock tower, several people stood near the entrance.

“There you are, Ira,” one said, the other three people perking at Ira’s approach. “What took you so long?”

“I am not late at all,” Ira murmured before gesturing to the people in front of him. “To the newer recruits, these are the other Kings and Queens of our fine planet. King Aced of Traverse Town.”

Beneath his tan, hooded cloak, Aced was muscular. Black embroidering decorated the cloak, gold tassels hanging from the front. A dark grey mask shaped like a bear shielded his face.

Aced gave a nod at the knights, expression unreadable.

“King Gula of Destiny Islands.”

Gula appeared younger than Ira and Aced by a few years, a white leopard mask keeping his face shielded. A yellow cloak with blue tassels on the front lay over a yellow-tan shirt and sash with grey embroidering.

Gula raised a hand when he was introduced but like Aced, didn’t greet Ira’s knights.

“Queen Invi of Twilight Town.”

Invi’s blue snake mask was hidden behind the hood of her light blue cloak. The coiled tail wrapped around the left side of the mask. Turquoise tassels on the front of her cloak stood out against the darker blue of her robe and sash.

A faint smile crossed Invi’s face before she inclined her head with a soft, “Welcome.”

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Invi murmured, giving a bow to Ira’s knights.

“And Queen Ava of Scala ad Caelum.”

Ava appeared to be the same age as Invi, a white fox mask with blue trim covering her face. The top of the hood of her pink cloak had stiff fox ears. A light purple sash hung around her waist, light green tassels hanging from the front of the white robe beneath the cloak.

Ava smiled at the group, head tilting to the side.

“She’s the Queen _here_?” Ventus asked in awe as Ava smiled at everyone.

“She’s got a fancy place,” Vanitas muttered.

The clock tower bells chimed and everyone looked up.

“We should head in,” Invi said. “Mass will begin soon.”

Aced nodded, looking at Ira.

Ira led everyone inside the church.

* * *

Vanitas didn’t think he’d understand anything. It hadn’t been a full two weeks yet and he felt lost and confused. Angry, too.

He knew little of the religion he was forced to participate in. All he understood was that this Luxu person bequeathed his Keyblade to the original five Foretellers, ancestors to the current Kings and Queens, and had created something called Kingdom Hearts: a thing that bestowed light upon everything it touched. He wasn’t sure if he should believe anything he heard.

Training was getting nowhere with him. He couldn’t even get a shaft of light to appear in his hand, a signal he was getting closer to summoning his Keyblade. Neither was Ventus.

Maybe becoming a knight was a bad idea.

Vanitas sighed to himself as he glared at the wall. He had given the top bunk to Ventus since it had made the blond happy and if it made Ventus happy, he didn’t care.

Charity was asleep beside Ventus who was staring at his hand intently, willing something to happen. He closed his hand then opened it again, repeating a few times. After the fourth time, the faintest hint of light flashed across his palm and he gasped.

Leaning over the edge of his bed, Ventus looked down at Vanitas. “I almost got it, Van!”

Vanitas gave a soft grunt in response to Ventus.

Ventus frowned, tilting his head. “Van?”

“Good for you.”

Ventus climbed down the ladder and prodded Vanitas. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Everything’s peachy.”

“Don’t pull that with me. I can tell something’s wrong.”Vanitas didn’t answer for a while before he finally muttered, “I can’t summon a Keyblade. Maybe Horn King was right. I’m

not Keyblade material.”

Ventus frowned then climbed into bed beside Vanitas, hugging him from behind. “Don’t say that. You’re Keyblade material to me.”

“Thanks,” Vanitas sighed, relaxing into Ventus’ grasp. “Sap.”

Ventus chuckled at the added word. “Love you too, bro.”

* * *

They had been training for nearly two weeks, working on their form and techniques, and summoning of their own Keyblade, but the two brothers were not having an easy time of it.

Vanitas did notice however that Ventus sometimes got extra training with Terra, working on whatever they had been taught earlier that day. It didn’t bother Vanitas much.

Ventus could do whatever he wanted; he wasn’t a kid anymore. But something about the way Ventus was gravitating towards the brunet rubbed Vanitas the wrong way.

Vanitas watched the two from a distance, where they couldn’t see him easily, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed.

Ventus was once more trying to summon his Keyblade but didn’t appear to be having any luck with it. Until suddenly a small Keyblade appeared in Ventus’ hand.

The Keyblade’s black handle was offset from the blade like the Keyblade could be wielded in reverse. The guard, a dull gold color, joined the shaft of the Keyblade at a misaligned angle. Three gold lines decorated the middle of the curved grey shaft, two short bars connecting the main section of the blade to the wing-shaped teeth which decreased in size until they laid against the Keyblade’s shaft. A green gem hung from the pommel of the blade, two flurries of wind swirling around it.

Ventus gasped at the sight of the Keyblade before showing it off to Terra. “I…I did it!”

Terra grinned, ruffling Ventus’ hair. “Good job, Ven!”

Vanitas scowled at the two before he looked at his hand. He clenched his fingers slightly, waiting for a flash of light to signal he was close to summoning something, but nothing came.

Two weeks and Vanitas had yet to summon his own Keyblade while Ventus had summoned his own Keyblade even faster than Terra had.

The lack of Keyblade and the way his bother summoned his so naturally left Vanitas with a sour taste in his mouth.

King Ira was right; he wasn’t Keyblade material and the Keyblades knew it and refused to come to him.

Clenching his hands, Vanitas turned and stomped off back to his compound to get some sleep.

Standing on a roof outside the property of the castle, a stranger cloaked entirely in black had a perfect view of the training yard. A black hood shrouded their face, preventing it from being seen.

Putting their thumb and forefinger of both hands into a square, the person used to it stare at Ventus as if he were taking a picture, humming to himself. “Oh. Hmm, hmm. Master will definitely want to know about this little update.”

The person shifted their hands to focus on the leaving Vanitas before dropping their hands with a chuckle.

“Silly Ven…don’t make your brother jealous…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one isn't nearly as good -.- But I hope you enjoy it either way :3  
> Yeah Luxu is a god here, but you will see THAT Luxu as well :3c


	3. Dark Intentions

Vanitas didn’t like Ventus hanging out with Terra. His brother began hanging out with Terra longer and longer, both of them training or just talking.

Vanitas grumbled to himself, sitting on the edge of the walkway that overlooked the gardens just before the castle grounds. He was eating a sea salt ice cream, mostly just biting into it to get the tingle of cold on his teeth and distract himself from the lack of Ventus by his side.

“Hey, what are you doing out here all alone?” Reiku asked as he came up to Vanitas.

Vanitas scowled up at him before looking away, taking another bite of his ice cream. “None of your business.”

“Well, you’re right.” Reiku sat beside Vanitas. “But you’re sitting alone. Where’s Ventus?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t you ask _Terra_?”

“Ahh.” Reiku gave a nod like he understood everything about the situation without Vanitas giving him any information. “I get it. You’re jealous.”

Vanitas turned sharply to glare at Reiku, flicking his popsicle stick at the other. “I am _not_ jealous!”

Reiku leaned back on his hands, kicking his legs a bit as he grinned at Vanitas. “Let me get this right. He’s hanging with Terra a lot more, especially now that he has his Keyblade and you’re so used to it being just you and him that you start getting acid in your veins whenever you see them hanging together.”

Vanitas growled as the hammer hit the nail on the head, before looking away sharply and crossing his arms.

“I’m right, aren’t I?”

“No!” Vanitas snapped before he muttered, “Yeah…maybe. I don’t know!”

“It’s okay to feel that. It’s been you and him your whole lives, right? And now suddenly he’s testing his independence from you. That would make anyone upset. You feel abandoned.”

Vanitas clenched his hands, not looking at Reiku. “I just don’t get it. Everything comes naturally to Ventus. He already summoned his Keyblade and I don’t even have a spark. Maybe I just don’t have the right blood. I mean, me and Ventus aren’t even from the same father. Maybe my father didn’t have the right type of blood to summon a Keyblade.”

“Anyone has the capacity to summon a Keyblade, Vanitas,” Reiku murmured softly. “Blood lineage does have a lot to do with it, but the heart can also have a factor in summoning.”

Vanitas breathed out through his nose then looked to the side, closing his eyes. “Then maybe I have a bad heart.”

Reiku shook his head. “I’ve seen murderers with Keyblades. Sometimes the blood lineage is stronger than the heart and evil people can get a Keyblade. It’s a shame that killers can get Keyblades, but nothing we can do about it except put them in jail and put damper collars on them so they don’t harm anyone else.”

Vanitas gave a grunt, opening his eyes and staring at the training yard in the distance. “Yeah, I guess.”

“You’ll get your Keyblade, I’m sure of it. And you’ll get used to Ventus stretching his wings.”

Vanitas gave another grunt, standing up and walking off.

Reiku watched him leave before he shook his head. “He is the complete opposite of Sora…”

* * *

After another two weeks of training, Ventus was getting better. Vanitas was as well, but he still had yet to summon his Keyblade and he was giving up on the idea that he could. He obviously wasn’t worthy to summon a Keyblade. Instead he focused on his knight training, a temporary sword at his side.

Vanitas still didn’t like the fact that Ventus hung around Terra more and more, the two even going on what Vanitas could only call dates. Where else would the two go alone?

Vanitas didn’t think that they were just touring Radiant Garden for the hell of it. The fact of them possibly dating behind his back annoyed him even more. He knew it wasn’t Terra’s fault, but he was going to mentally blame the brunet anyway.

“Hey,” Reiku said when he saw Vanitas coming into the training yard with an annoyed look on his face. “Ready for some training?”

“Where are Ventus and Terra?”

“They’re doing rounds in the town, keeping the peace and such. So, it’s just you and me training today.”

Vanitas gave a grunt, glancing around to see if he saw any sign of Terra or Ventus before he sighed. “Yeah, I guess so.”

Terra and Ventus going around the town, doing rounds? Vanitas wasn’t sure whether he bought that or not. But he supposed he could just ignore it and focus on his training. He needed to catch up to Ventus. He needed his own Keyblade.

Unsheathing his sword, Vanitas pointed it at Reiku. “Fight me then.”

Reiku grinned, Keyblade coming to his hand. “Thought you’d never ask.”

* * *

“So, have you thought of a name for your Keyblade yet?” Terra asked, looking at Ventus as they walked down the streets of Radiant Garden. “You have to name it, you know. Can’t just keep calling it ‘Keyblade’.”

“Oh. Uh…” Ventus looked at the ground, frowning as he thought about what sort of name fit his Keyblade.

It was lightweight, lighter than he thought it would be. It had been almost shaped like a wing and wings were good for soaring in the air.

Something tickled at the back of Ventus’ mind and he grinned as a name popped into his head. “Wayward Wind.”

“Hm.” Terra gave a small nod. “That sounds like a good name. Wayward Wind. Does it feel right?”

Ventus grinned, clenching his hands as he bounced besides Terra. “Yeah. I’m sure it is. It feels right.”

Terra gave a laugh at Ventus’ antics. “That’s good. Soon we’ll have to teach you about Link Attacks and channeling magic.”

“Link Attacks?” Ventus asked, tilting his head.

“They’re dual attacks two people can do. It only works if the people are compatible. Like Sora and Riku have their dual attack, Nightmare’s Mirage.”

“That sounds cool!”

“It is, but not something you can do whenever you want to. It takes a lot of energy from both people, so it’s more like a once in a while attack or a last resort attack.”

Ventus nodded in understanding, crossing his arms to appear thoughtful. “It’s still cool though.” He looked at Terra with bright eyes. “Do you think we could do a Link Attack?”

“If we’re compatible,” Terra admitted with a slight shrug.

“Me and Vanitas?”

“Once he gets his own Keyblade we can see, but I’m sure brothers are automatically compatible.”

Ventus frowned at the answer. “So, you don’t know?”

“Well,” Terra scratched his cheek, “I think Sora and Roxas have a Link Attack, but I’ve never actually heard if they do or if I am just assuming they do.”

“Can you ask them?”

Terra chuckled, shaking his head. “I will do that the next time we speak.”

“Great.” Ventus skipped a bit by Terra’s side. “Maybe they’ll come over here and we can all hang out or something!”

Terra smiled at Ventus. “That sounds good. It just depends on how busy things are.”

“I’d say things are about to get a whole lot busier for you knights,” a voice said as a stranger cloaked all in black approached the two.

Terra stopped, frowning at the stranger. “Who are you? I’ve never seen you around before.”

The stranger flapped a hand dismissively. “I go by many names. But you can call me Master.”

“Huh?”

Master held up a finger before pointing towards Ventus. “You have a new Keyblade. I see talent and potential in you, much more than the knights can bring out. How would you like to join my union?”

“Union?” Ventus asked while Terra said, “Ven, don’t listen to this guy.”

“My union. Union X.” Master put his hands behind his back. “We have Keyblade wielders from all over. Strong ones. We could use someone like you in our midst.”

“Ventus is part of the knights,” Terra snapped, holding out an arm to block Master from coming near Ventus.

“I wasn’t asking you,” Master snapped, looking towards Terra sharply. “I was asking the blond. Or does he just listen to you?”

Terra growled, gritting his teeth.

The Master casually stepped closer to Ventus, like he was in no hurry. “We could train you in arts that your knights won’t even talk about. You could become much stronger more quickly.”

Master leaned slightly to the side, razor-sharp grin hidden in the shadows of his hood. “Or do you always want to be in your brother’s shadow? Being protected by him, coddled by him? Never able to prove your own worth, that you can stand on your own two feet?”

Ventus frowned, looking down at the ground. He knew that Vanitas was very protective and he even knew that Vanitas didn’t really like the fact that he was hanging around Terra so often, but Ventus wasn’t a kid anymore. He had his own Keyblade. He was learning how to fight and defend himself.

“Well?” Master asked, moving to stand in front of Ventus once again. “What do you say, Ventus? Will you join my Union or remain protected by your jealous brother?”

“I…don’t know,” Ventus said uncertainly, shaking his head. “I don’t know you. And I don’t want to leave my brother.”

“Your brother has brainwashed you into thinking that you can only rely on him. I know you’re stronger than that. And I can tap into the potential that I see in you.”

“Ventus obviously doesn’t want to go with you!” Terra snapped, stepping in front of Ventus. “Now get out of here before you regret it.”

Master gave a small laugh as he stepped back a few feet. “Are you challenging me, boy? You have no idea who you’re dealing with.”

“If you won’t go peacefully,” Terra summoned Earthshaker, holding his Keyblade in the window guard position, “then I will force you to leave.”

“I’d like to see you try.” Master summoned a Keyblade, pointing it towards Terra.

The Keyblade had a black handle with a raised spiral carved around it. The pommel and guard resembled demonic wings. A goat head was etched into the base of the Keyblade, the shaft forming two barbed blades, white thorny brambles engraved into the surface. A blue gem with a black pinprick pupil was set right into the middle of the weapon’s shaft; the same type of eye was hanging from the keychain token at the end of the Keyblade’s pommel.

“You are going to regret your words. I’ll show you what happens to those who cross me.”

“Terra, wait!” Ventus said as Terra charged towards Master.

He wasn’t sure if Terra could feel it, but the aura around Master had changed the second he had summoned his Keyblade. Now he was emanating bloodlust.

Master even had one arm behind his back, obviously not deeming the impending battle with Terra worth his full strength.

The two Keyblades crashed together, sparks emanating from the blades as Terra pushed against Master’s defense and Master pushed back.

Terra jumped back a few feet before lunging forward again, Earthshaker connecting with Master’s Keyblade once, twice, three times.

It was hard to tell Master’s expression from beneath the hood covering his face, but Ventus was certain that he was enjoying himself.

“Terra!” Ventus called as the two continued to slam their Keyblades repeatedly against each other, Master barely moving from his spot. “You need to stop! You don’t know what you’re up against!”

“You should listen to your little boyfriend, Terra,” Master mocked, blocking every single strike that Terra lashed at him. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I will.”

“You need to get out of here!”

Master gave a hum before returning Terra’s strike with a powerful one, causing Terra to stagger. He then moved forward, switching from defense to offense quickly.

Terra was forced into a defensive position, blocking Master’s strikes, taking steps back with each hit. Terra’s back hit a wall and he quickly ducked down to avoid an attack aimed at his head, Master’s Keyblade slicing into the wall. He avoided another strike, a second slash carving into the wall.

Quickly, Terra jumped back to get some distance between himself and Master before he pointed Earthshaker at Master. A red orb of energy formed at the tip of his Keyblade. “Firaga!”

“Dark Firaga!” Master countered with his own fire magic, the two colliding and exploding mid-air, creating a huge cloud of smoke and obscuring Terra’s vision.

Terra stepped back, glancing around, keeping his guard up as he searched for any sign of Master.

“Right behind you!”

Terra turned around when he heard Master’s voice, barely having time to lift up Earthshaker to defend himself, the back edge of Master’s Keyblade slamming into his chest and sending him flying backward.

“Terra!” Ventus screamed when Terra crashed into the side of a building.

Terra dropped to his feet, staggering a bit before righting himself. He held onto his bruised chest, the force behind Master’s strike taking the wind out of his lungs. Before Terra even had time to catch his breath, Master was lunging at him once more, Keyblade raised. Terra gave a sharp exhale before lifting up Earthshaker and lunging at Master to connect Keyblades.

The two continued repeated strikes, trying to overpower each other, before Master gave one sharp strike to once again stagger Terra. He took the chance to slice a shallow cut into the brunet’s chest before Terra could raise his guard back up.

Terra took several steps back to gather himself and gauge his next move.

Master was obviously much stronger than he appeared and much more competent in his Keyblade abilities than he let on. It didn’t appear that he had a weak side so far either.

Terra looked at Ventus who was distressed and obviously torn between joining the fight or remaining where he was.

Terra frowned before focusing back on Master, lunging forward.

Master blocked the attack before leaping up onto the roof of a nearby home.

Terra followed after him quickly.

“Terra!” Ventus called, following the two through the streets as they continued their fighting on the rooftops. “Terra, stop!”

Terra didn’t hear Ventus’s pleading, too focused on the battle at hand to listen to the blond.

He focused on attacking Master, looking for a weakness or a hole in his defense. So far there seemed to be none with Master which frustrated Terra to no end.

Master grunted, leaping back after another attack before holding out his free hand, sending out an icy blast of Dark Blizzaga.

Terra barely managed to avoid the magic attack, the ice coating the side of his right arm and leg. He quickly brushed off the icy film then brought up Earthshaker to block the attack that Master slammed into him. Backing up, Terra was back on the defensive while Master was on offensive.

Terra slid back as Master kept striking him, waiting for an opportunity to turn the tables.

Taking advantage of their close combat quarters, Master slammed his hand into Terra’s chest, sending the brunet flying back with a quick blast of Dark Fire.

Terra’s back struck the edge of the roof he was before he dropped off the edge and into a side street below.

“Terra!” Ventus yelled, racing over to where Terra had fallen.

Terra slowly rolled over, using his Keyblade to push himself back onto his feet. Smoke rose from the scorched edges of his ruined uniform, the skin beneath singed; despite the point-blank attack, the burns were only minor if painful. Terra leaped back when Master came rushing down at him, avoiding the finishing attack. He rapidly jumped onto the nearest roof then jumped to another higher one.

“Where are you running to, Terra?” Master asked as he quickly followed after Terra, slamming his Keyblade into the brunet’s, both of their strikes sending them climbing higher and higher into the air, their strikes creating sparks.

“Why are you doing this?” Terra asked as he struck his Keyblade once more against Master’s Keyblade, pushing against the strike in an effort to overpower Master. “What do you want with Ven?”

“He is the Key.”

“Key?” Terra repeated, pulling his head back sharply when Master leaned closer to him.

Master grinned under his hood, canines sharp and flashing against the sparks. “To Kingdom Hearts.”

Terra’s brow furrowed as he tried to puzzle out what exactly Master was talking about. Kingdom Hearts was talked about during mass; it was a strange thing Luxu had supposedly created during the Age of Light and no one knew if it truly existed or if it was a metaphor. It was a fairy tale so why did this guy believe Ventus could help him chase a myth?

“You’re in my way, boy,” Master hissed, shoving Terra back. He raised his Keyblade above his head before bringing it down. His Keyblade connected powerfully with Earthshaker, the force knocking Terra out of the air and slamming him into the ground below.

Ventus ran over to where Terra had landed as Master dropped to the ground, touching down a short way away. “Terra!”

Terra grunted as he struggled to get back onto his feet. He fell back on the ground with a pained huff, Earthshaker disappearing from his grasp in a streak of light.

Ventus kneeled by Terra’s side, looking at him in fear as he grabbed Terra’s arm. “Terra? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Terra grunted, trying once more to get back onto his feet before laying back again, resting his hand on his chest. It was painful with every breath, but he was certain that there were no broken bones to add to his burns.

“You reap what you sow, Terra,” Master said, stepping closer to the duo until he was a few feet away. “That fight was over before it had even begun.”

Terra grit his teeth, glaring at Master. “You’ve proven your point. You need to leave now and never talk to Ventus again.”

“Terra…” Ventus murmured, holding Terra’s arm before looking at Master.

Master shook his head. “I told you that I need him and if I have to eliminate one of King Ira’s little knights, so be it. Why don’t I show you something nice?”

Master held out his hand, a dark energy swirling around his hand as he pointed it towards the ground.

“Dark beings riven from the void, reveal yourselves and heed my command.”

Three tall beings with glowing yellow eyes appeared from the dark puddles that had appeared on the ground, their bodies entirely dark save for the blue lines that streaked up their sides and into their long, jagged antennae. Their long claws scraped together like metal.

Master gestured to the three beings. “These are Neoshadow Heartless, one of the several Heartless that I have created with my magic. These will take care of you here and now or Ventus, you could spare your friend a painful death and just come with me willingly.”

Ventus frowned at Master before he stood up. The ultimatum was just a lie; once Ventus was at his side, Master was still going to kill Terra. Ventus wouldn’t allow it. “I’d rather die than go with you, you bastard!”

“That can be arranged, Ventus. After all, I only need your heart.” He snapped his fingers and the three Heartless lunged towards Ventus.

Before Ventus even had a chance to summon Wayward Wind, Reiku jumped between him and the Heatless, Soul Eater ripping through two of them.

“Leave Ventus alone!” Vanitas snapped, rushing at the last Heartless with his sword and slicing into it. The cut was less clean than Reiku’s attack, black ichor dripping from the silver blade.

“Vanitas?” Ventus asked, looking between the two as the Heartless vanished. “Reiku?”

“You two were gone for so long, Vanitas got concerned,” Reiku said, looking at Ventus with a grin.

Vanitas gave a grunt, facing Master and holding his sword out towards him. “You better get out of here, you freak.”

Master tilted his head up slightly, observing Vanitas with disinterest. “Oh, a Keybladeless whelp. I’m surprised Ira is keeping you around.”

Vanitas narrowed his eyes but didn’t attack. “I told you to do something.”

Master gave a hum, his Keyblade disappearing as he gave an idle nod. “Well, I know when I’m outnumbered. But don’t think this is over. Union X is getting bigger by the day and my plans won’t be stopped.”

“We’ll see about that,” Reiku snapped. “You better get going before I decide to show you a thing or two about the strength of Ira’s knights.”

“Don’t!” Terra said, grimacing when pain shot through his chest. “He’s more powerful than he lets on.”

Ventus nodded. “Don’t, Reiku. Please. I don’t want you to get hurt as well.”

Reiku looked back at the two before he glared at Master. He kept his Keyblade up, ready to attack if Master so much as moved strangely.

“Well. I suppose I’ll take my leave,” Master said, stepping back into a swirling portal that appeared behind him. He gave a mock bow. “I hope you’ll be ready for round two.”

Once the portal had closed, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Ventus turned and went to Terra’s side, kneeling down.

“Terra, are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Terra waved a hand before he flinched when chest spasmed.

“We should get you looked at,” Reiku said, bending down and grabbing Terra’s arm to haul him to his feet.

Terra grunted, holding his chest as he tried to support the most of his weight so Reiku wasn’t carrying him. “I know someone who knows healing artes…I can show you to his house.”

“We’ll go there then.”

“What was that guy’s deal?” Vanitas grunted, scowling at the spot where Master had disappeared like it had personally offended him. “Why was he picking on you two?”

“He wanted Ven,” Terra said. “For something…”

“What could he possibly need with Ven?” Reiku asked. “How does he even know about Ven?”

“I’m not sure. He said something about…Kingdom Hearts.”

“Kingdom Hearts?” Vanitas snorted. “What’s that?”

Terra shook his head. “I’m not sure anymore. But I’m sure my friend will know. He knows a lot of things.”

“What’s your friend’s name?” Ventus asked.

“Eraqus. Eraqus Herre Junior.”

* * *

On a roofline nearby, Master watched the four talk amongst themselves before the silver-haired knight pulled Terra to his feet. He hummed, setting his hands behind his back as the four began to walk off to the east.

“Well that was reckless,” a voice said as another figure cloaked in black came up to stand beside Master. “Engaging with one of the knights. Not that I don’t trust your fighting abilities, but taking on four people at once would overwhelm even you.”

“I was merely playing with him. I was hoping to fight Ventus and gauge his abilities.”

“So, he’s the one?” the figure dropped into a crouch, staring at the knights as they carried Terra down the street. “You’re sure?”

“His heart is of pure light.”

“Yeah, so? We need one of pure light and one of pure darkness. We only got half the key.”

“Oh, my dear Luxu,” Master snickered, head turning to gaze down at the figure beside him. “I do have the entire key.”

“Oh?”

“That one is Ventus’ twin, yes?” Master pointed to Vanitas in the distance. “The Keybladeless one.”

“Yeah, they’re siblings.” Luxu nodded idly. “But he’s not entirely pure darkness, you know.”

“Not yet. But if you train him—”

“Whoa, whoa, chill it like ten degrees, man!” Luxu stood up sharply, waving his hands before gesturing to himself. “Why should _I_ train him?”

Master tilted his head, unperturbed by the behavior. “He trusts you, does he not?”

Luxu gave a quiet growl then looked away sharply. He remained silent for a few seconds before he muttered, “What do you want me to do?”

“Train him in the art of dark magic. That shall activate his Keyblade. Lure him onto our side. After all, the battle has to have the one of pure light face off against the one of pure darkness.”

Luxu remained silent for a while before he gave a sharp laugh, setting his hands on his hips. “‘And so, Luxu the Light God and Tenebris the Dark God clashed in a fierce battle. From their battle, their blades melded together and created the X-blade which precluded the existence of the great ethereal moon called Kingdom Hearts’. Is that your goal?”

“Once they forge the X-blade and summon Kingdom Hearts, it will grant my wish of never-ending darkness….and the rise of Tenebris.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all already know who Luxu is so don't worry about it xD  
> He's just taking the name for shits and giggles.  
> Enjoy my attempt at worldbuilding.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for any potential errors. I looked it over but sometimes my eyes don't notice a mistake xD  
> Comments are my lifeblood. As are kudos.


End file.
